UPA has lost the mandate to run country: Advani

New Delhi: With the UPA mired in scams and
people out on the streets in support of Anna Hazare`s campaign
against graft, BJP on Thursday said the Manmohan Singh regime has
lost the mandate to run this country and suggested that the
"sooner" it goes, the better for the nation.

"The sooner this government goes, the better it would be
(for the nation)," senior BJP leader LK Advani said.

Apparently referring to the unity shown by non-Congress
parties at a meeting on Tuesday on the Anna Hazare issue
attended by the Left too, he said, "hopes have been raised"
through some "concerted efforts" by the parties leaving aside
their "ideological differences".

The BJP veteran said the country was feeling oppressed by
corruption and mal-governance of this government.

"It came to power in 2009 with the mandate to work for
the common man. There was hope that inflation would be
controlled and that the Government will function with
integrity and honesty.

However, I feel after two years, if these issues are
taken, then the Government`s mandate has been exhausted, it
has evaporated," he said at a function held here to launch his
book "As I see It".

The book is a compilation of his blog postings.

Advani, who was the BJP-led NDA`s Prime Ministerial
candidate in the 2009 polls, said the Government lacks the
commitment to get back the Indian black money stashed abroad
when other western countries facing economic slowdown are
making extra efforts to get them back.

"In 2009 we raised the issue of black money stashed
abroad about which people have been saying. When we raised the
issue, Congress had said we will take steps in this regard
within 100 days," the BJP leader said.

The Lokpal issue and Anna Hazare`s fast has seen the
Opposition unite against the UPA government. However, Advani
made light of the Left and the Right joining hands against the
government.

He said "like them (the Left leaders attending Tuesday`s
meeting) we are ready to go to their office.

In fact, the first official duty I did as home Minisiter
is to go to Kerala to attend the funeral of veteran CPI(M)
leader EMS Namboodiripad," he said.